PATNA: Over 1,500 chickens have died due to a mysterious disease at Thepaha and Jimsikri villages in Siwan district in the past 15 days triggering fear of a possible outbreak of bird flu among the poultry owners. District animal husbandry officer (DAHO) in-charge Dr Ravindra Kumar said that deaths were reported from two poultry farms at Jamsikri village under Zeeradei block and Thepaha under Siwan Sadar block. Kumar said that a four-member medical team was constituted and it carried out post-mortem examination of the dead chickens. He said that the medical team found no symptoms of bird flu. The chickens had died due to bacterial infection and apparently due to unhygienic conditions in which they were kept and fed by their owners, DAHO said.
Kumar said he had sent separate reports to Siwan DM and director, AHD, Patna, in this connection. The serum of the dead chickens would be first sent to Patna and then to Kolkata for further investigation, he added. Source
